EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 253 



wide 7 feet 6 inches high. A convenient sized light to use is 8x10 

 inch or 9x12 inch as a smaller pane interferes with the light, while 

 larger are more expensive to repair when broken. 



WALLS. 



It is essential that the walls be free from cracks so as to avoid 

 drafts. Rough boards with the cracks battened can be used to advant- 

 age although rather expensive so far as the amount of material is con- 

 cerned, and in addition the battens are apt to become loose and uncover 

 the cracks. Rough boards covered with roofing paper make an excellent 

 house although one must consider the labor and expense necessary to 

 keep it in repair. Ordinary cope-siding is often used, making a suit- 

 able and attractive wall, but it is rather expensive. A serviceable wall 

 may be secured by the use of flooring which can be boarded up and 

 down and matched with tighter joints than the cope-siding. The joints 

 should be painted while being laid. Cement walls have not been popular 

 in jjoultry houses. 



CONSTRUCTION. 



It is not considered necessary to construct a house with double walls. 

 The dead air space works like a refrigerator causing the birds to suffer 

 more discomfort than in a tight single wall house. Occasionally this 

 air space is filled with straw, sawdust, or some similar material, thus 

 affording an excellent harbor for rats and mice. Frequently, air pas- 

 sages are made between the stuffed space and the room, which does 

 away with the refrigerating effect but provides a suitable place for 

 lice and mites to accumulate. There is no need of lining or lathing and 

 plastering a poultry house, for aside from the appearance and the 

 elimination of a few cracks in the interior it is a useless expense. Ceil- 

 ing the house above is also considered unnecessary especially for winter 

 use. but for summer use the house with dead air spaces between walls 

 and above is much cooler. 



TYPES OF PENS. 



Another problem often encountered is the type of pen to use. For 

 years people saw the need of exercise for the laying and breeding hen, 

 and to stimulate this and get the hen out into fresh air, scratching 

 sheds were built. This was a step from the old closed house toward 

 the modern fresh air type. Accordingly screened fronts were made 

 which permitted the bird to get out into fresh air during the day but 

 they were compelled to go back into the closed quarters at night. Many 

 poultrymen are using this plan today, having the roosts in a closed com- 

 partment", not realizing that fresh air is as important at night as in 

 the day time. This type of pen has gradually given way to the simpler 

 method of having the roosts and scratching shed in one general room, 

 this plan being less expensive to build and affording a greater amount 



